Starting and operating fluorescent and mercury arc lamps



Septa 28, 1943. RANEY, JR 2,330,312

STARTING AND OPERATING FLUORESCENT AND MERCURY ARC LAMPS Filed Feb. '7, 1941 Inventor Patented Sept. 28, 19 43 STARTING AND OPERATING FIiUORESCENT AND MERCURY LALIPS Ben Barley, Jn, Linton, Ind.

Application February 7, 1941, Serial No. 377,933

1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to electrical lighting, and more particularly to means for starting and operating fluorescent and mercury arc lamps, and the primary object of my invention is to provide means of this character which involves provisions for applying a difierent current to each filament separately from the main arcing current, and to break the filament warming current when the main current has established the are between the heated filaments.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

The single view is a schematic wiring diagram showing a preferred arrangement in accordance with the present invention, particularized as to a fluorescent light tube. V

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral generally designates an ordinary commercial variety of fluorescent light tube which involves the electrodes 6 and 1, respectively, at the opposite ends of the tube. The said tube contains an ionizable gas (not shown) which is ionized when the electrodes 6 and I are sufiiciently heated, so as to permit the passage of an electric current between the electrodes, using the ionized gas as a bridge. As a result of this passage of the energizing current applied to the electrodes, the tube glows in a well known manner. A similar system of operation applies to the ordinary mercury arc lamp, to which the invention isequally applicable.

In accordance with the present invention a transformer which is generally designated 8, having a closed core 9, has one secondary section l0 connected at its opposite ends to the opposite ends of the tube electrode 8 by rneans of the wires Ii and l2. The opposite electrode 1 is similarly connected by wires l3 and I4 to the opposite ends of another similar secondary transformer section l5. The primary winding I6 01 the transformer has one end connected as indicated at H to the wire I4, with the remaining end of the primary winding l6 connected by the wire ill to a stationary contact i9 which is opposed to a contact 20 carried by a magnetizable armature 2i which is suspended swingably as indicated by the numeral 22 with respect to the terminals of an E-shaped core 23 which is wound with a ballast or choke coil 24 on its center leg. One end of the coil 24 is connected at 25 to the alternating current input wire 26, the latter being also is connected by a wire 21 to the wire I I at the point 28. The remaining alternating current claim.

connected to the conductive magnetizable armature 2|. The remaining end of the choke coil 24 input wire 29 is connected at 30 to the wire l4.

A retracting spring 3| normally keeps the armature 2i away from the choke coil core 23 and holds the contacts l9 and 2!] closed when the lamp is not operating. In this way the ballast coil 24 is connected in series with the fluorescent lamp and the two are connected in parallel with the primary winding iii of the transformer 8.

With the 'above arrangements, the passage of current through the choke coil 24 will attract the armature 2| and thereby break the engagement of the points i9 and 20 and thereby deenergize the primary l6 oi. the transformer. In the light of these arrangements it will be understood that when the line voltage coming through the wires 26 and 29 is applied to the combination the current goes through the primary or the transformer so as to induce a current in each of the secondary coils or'sections Hi and I 5, the induced current acting to warm the electrodes or filaments 6 and 7 in the tube 5. When the filaments are sufliciently heated in this manner so as to ionize the'gas or vapor within the tube, the line current after passing through the ballast coil- 2% arcs across between the filaments 6 and l. 4

As soon as the arc is established the current flowing through the choke coil- 24 materially increases the magnetism of the core 28 thereby attracting the armature 2i and opening the contact points [9 and 20, thereby stopping flow of currentthrough the transformer 8, with the result that no current is induced in the secondary sections l0 and I5 and the tube filaments 8 and I are no longer heated, so that no current is wasted during the continued operation of the tube 5. It will be obvious that dry cells or other batteries, magnetos, generators, condensers or other means of generating suflicient electromotive force, may be substituted for the transformer as means for pre-heating the filaments of the tube, but for ordinary use the small transformer shown and described i preferable because less troublesome.

Although I have shown-and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto, except as may be'required by the scope of the subioined Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In apparatus for operatively energizing a gas or vapor arc lamp of the type involving a pair of electrodes which ionize the gag between them, a unit. consisting of a closed core transformer having on its middle leg a pair of secondary windings individually connected to the corresponding electrodes of the lamp and a primary winding, a main line current supply having one side thereof connected. to one side of one of the electrodes, to one side of saidprimary winding and to one side of the corresponding secondary winding, said main line having the remaining side thereof connected to the remaining side 01' said primary winding and with the remaining electrode and with the secondary winding related thereto, a choke coil connected between said remaining side of the main line and the last-mentioned electrode and secondary winding, a conductive armature magnetically related to said choke coil and normally retracted therefrom, a stationary contact point engaged by said arngature in its retracted position, said armature and said contact point being electrically connected in said remaining side of the main line at a point between aid secondary winding and said choke coil. wherein said choke coil comprises an E-core with the coil wound on the middle leg thereof, the middle leg of the transformer core and the middle leg of said choke coil core being substantially aligned and located in close proximity to each other with said armature positioned between the two cores'and extending across the terminals of the legs thereof.

' BEN RANEY, JR. 

